Source: Aaron Wiggins / Aaron Wiggins
With the Omicron variant spiking as we go into the holiday, you would think that returning students to virtual learning would be on top of the ‘Must Do’ list for Education leaders, but at the moment, that is not the case.
In a statement that was released yesterday from MSDE, they want to keep the children in school. “MSDE is committed to supporting local school systems in the effort to keep each and every public school open for in person instruction, especially with readily available state and federal resources. If a local school system feels that it must temporarily adapt to virtual learning at an individual school or in a targeted manner to keep its school community safe, the flexibility exists for the local school system to do so. Only on a case-by-case basis under the most exigent of circumstances and in close consultation with State and local health departments will MSDE support a temporary transition of a school system to virtual learning with guardrails in place that ensure students have access to a connected learning device and meaningful synchronous instruction.”
State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury added, “Across the State, we must keep schools open for in-person instruction to ensure excellent educational opportunities and strong outcomes for all students, especially those who have been historically underserved and most impacted by the suspension of in-person learning. There is strong consensus from researchers that schools can and should stay open for in-person instruction and that school leaders must use every tool at their disposal to do so given the adverse effects closures have on students and their families. We have seen the devastating impact of school closures and long-term virtual instruction on student learning here in Maryland and across the country. When COVID-19 transmission increases and health measures become a necessity, schools must be the last places to close. With unprecedented federal and State resources and tools, we can keep schools safely open for in-person, full-time learning.”
Do you agree with the Education leaders or do you think the kids should return to virtual?
